Folding machine



A. OLSON ET AL FOLDING MACHINE Sept. 18, 1928.

6 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 Filed April 13, 1927 *5? i I Inum its k sad aw: 7f. 54mm vim Sept. 18, 1928.

A. OLSON ET AL FOLDING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 18, 1928. 1,684,803

I A.. OLSON ET AL FOLDING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 4. J W l 24M Sept. 18, 1928.

1,684,803 A. OLSON ET AL FOLDING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 18, 1928.

A. OLSON ET AL FOLDING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1927 6 Sheets-sheet 5 Sept. 18, 1928. 1,684,803

A. OLSON ET AL FOLDING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet s l I l I Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFr-lcE.

ANDREW OLSON, OF CLEVELAND, AND LESLEY R. TUFTS, OF EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE CLEVELAND FOLDING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FOLDING MACHINE.

Application filed April 13, 1927. Serial No. 188,400.

This invention relates to improvements in foldmg machines and hasreference particularly to means for introducing a stacker at an intermediate position in a folding machine without the necessity of removing heavy parts of the machine.

In folding machines of that class in which the sheets of paper are fed up to a stop and the feeding pressure continued so as to produce a buckling of the paper which is thereby carried between folding rolls, there are usually several sets. of folding mechanisms, each succeeding, one being adapted to impart one or more folds in a direction at right angles to the folds made by the previous set. Frequently, however, it is desirable to use the machine for work in which not all of the folding mechanisms are required. In that event the stacker which is an endless belt running at slow speed for receiving and, collecting the folded sheets in convenient arrangementfor handling, should be positioned where it will receive the sheets in their finally folded condition without theinhaving to pass through the balance of the machine.

In folding machines of small size it is common ractice to provide for the removal of a feed table unit comprising a series of rolls and the substitution therefor of a stagker. In the case of large machines, however, the feed table units are-very heavy and consequently it is highly desirable topermit them to remain in t e machine when the stacker is installed.

One of the objects of the present invention therefore is to provide means which shall enable the operator to introduce a stacker at an intermediate point in. the machine without removing any feed table unit or units.

Another object is the provision of means for properly feeding sheets either to the feed table or to a stacker installed above the feed table.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for driving the moving parts of the stacker on the one hand and all parts of the machine which are rendered inefiective by the stacker on the other hand, the latter driving means being idle when the stacker driving means is-in operation.

Another object is the provision of a swinging frame on which sheet feeding present application we have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section on line 1-1 Fig. 3 looking towards the delivery end of the feed table 1n connection with which our invention is employed.

2 is an elevational view of the machine looking towards the opposite end of the same feed table.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on the line 4-4 Fig. 1 of the feed table, above referred to, with fragments of ad o ning portions of the machine, some of the parts being broken away to more clearly illustrate the invention.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view correspondng to Fig. 2 but with the stacker in place in the machine and the feed rolls and driving connections adjusted accordingly.

Fig. '6 is a sectional plan view with parts broken away, the section being substantially on the line 6-6 Fig. 5. I

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the views.

The frame parts of the machine are referredto generally b the numeral 10. The feed table with whic this invention is. ar-

ticularly concerned has side bars 11 an .12-

and end bars 13 and 14 supporting rotatably a series of rollers 15 which are arranged diagonally for a purpose well under-' stood in the art and. which are driven all in the same direction by means ofga belt 16 running over idler-s17 for increasing the area of contact between the belt and rollers 15. The belt 16 is driven by a pulley 18 mounted on a shaft 19 provided at one ex-.

tremity with a bevel pinion 20 meshing with a bevel inion 21 on a shaft 22, the

actuation of w ich will be referred to later ing the rollers 23 and 15, respectively, there is located a folding mechanism embodying folding rolls 24, 24', 25, 26, 27, and 27' which together with fold plates 28, 29 and 30 serve to impart one or more parallel folds as will be well understood by one skilled in the art. A second folding means similar to that between the feed tables comprising rollers 23 and 15 may be and preferably is employed by the 'machine in advance of the rollers 23, but which is not shown herein. A third folding mechanism follows in point of travel of the paper, the feed table comprising rollers 15, and includes folding rolls 31, 31', 32 and 33 together with fold plates 34 and 35.

The power for the folding rolls 24, 25, 26 and 27 and other moving parts subsequent thereto is furnished .by inclined shaft 36 upon which is fixed spiral gear 37 meshing with spiral gear 38 upon the same shaft with which 'is a pinion 39. Still upon the same shaft but inside the frame 10 of the machine is a gear 40 which is one of a train of intermeshing gears on the folding rolls 24 25, 26 and 27' by means of which those rolls are driven. The pinion 39 located outside of the machine frame meshes with a gear wheel 41 which is mounted on ashort' shaft 44 which extends entirely through the machine and has pivotally mounted thereon a frame which consists of end plates 45 and 46, shafts 47 and 48 and a guide plate 9.

On the plate 45 there is a stub shaft 49 which carries the gear 50 meshing with a small gear or pinion 51' on a shaft 48 which in turn meshes with a like pinion 52 on the shaft 47.

. The shafts 47 and 48 are supplied at intervals with co-operating rubber surfaced wheels 51 which grip and move the paper passing through the machine. These shafts with their rubber wheels are hereinafter referred to asfeed rolls. Whenin the position illustrated in Fig. 2 these feed rolls ,serve to, deposit the folded sheets onto the feed tablecompri sing rollers 15. In. this position also-the gear 50 meshes with a gear 53 on the shaft 22 heretofore mentioned as carrying one of the intermeshing bevel gears 20, 21 in the driving mechanism for the rollers 15.

At its opposite end beyond the machine frame the shaft 22 carries the gear 54 which meshes with the gear 55 on a short shaft 56 with bearings in the machineframe and in a bracket 57 attached to the frame. Rotating with the gear 54 is a bevel pinion 58 in mesh with a second bevel pinion 59 which is pinned to shaft 60 carrying folding roll 31. Near the opposite end of the shaft 60 is a spur gear 61 which is one of a train of gears used to drive the folding rolls 31', 32 and 33.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that when the plates 45 and 46 with their associated parts forming the swinging frame, above referred to, are swung downwardly upon the shaft 44 to the position indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 so that gears 50 and 53 are in mesh, the shaft 22 will be rotated driving the rollers 15 through bevel gears 20 and 21 and driving the folding rolls 31', 32 and 33 through gears 54, 55,58 and 59. When the frame is swung upwardly, however, so that gears 50 and 53 are no longer in mesh with the rollers 15 and the folding rolls 31, 32 and 33 do not rotate.

In Figs. 5and 6 the machine is illustrated with a stacker in place. This device includes a pair of side rails 90 and 91 supported by means of blocks 62 at the outer end and by some other like suitable means at the inner end so as to clear the rollers 15. the blocks 62 and consequently the side bars being locked in position by any suitable means such, for instance, as pins 63 extending into sockets formed in the border frame of the feed table. The rails 90 and 91 carry side frames 64 in which are mounted rollers 65 and 66 carrying an endless belt 67 made preferably of canvas or other fabric, the belt being suitably tensioned by coil springs 68 pressing against bearing blocks 69 on the shaft of roller 66 and against brackets 70 on frames 64. the blocks 69 carrying guide bolts 71 which extend through the springs 68 and through holes in the brackets 70. the outer ends of the shaft of the roller 66 running in slots 8. as shown in Fig. 5.

The shaft 47 has pinned thereto a spur gear 71. When the stacker is in position on the machine this gear 71 meshes with the gear 72 on a short shaft carried in a plate 73 of the stacker frame, the same shaft carrying also on the other side of the plate a pinion 74. The latter meshes with the gear 75 which is on another shaft extending through plate 73 and at its opposite end carries a somewhat smaller gear which meshes with the gear on roller 65. It will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 5 that the drive for the roller 65 is thus slowed down through the reduction gearing iust de scribed so that the speed of movement of the belt 67 is. very much less than that of the rollers in the feed tables of the machine.

At the delivery end of the belt 67 we may provide a table 76 which has lateral projections 7 7 fitting into notches in the side barsfolding mechanism at the forward end of the machine, that is the one shown at the left in Fig. 3, the stacker herein disclosed is not used. At such times the swinging frame with its end plates 45 and 46 is in the lowered position illustrated in F' s. 1 and 2, wherein the folded sheets moving towards the feed table comprising rollers 15 pass onto the guide plate 9 and thence between the'wheels 51 of the swinging feed rolls and are directed downwardly onto the rollers 15 and thence at right angles over those: rollers into .the folding mechanism show .at the left in Fig. 3. {As is well known in the art stop bars or guides are employed on each of the feed'tables against which the diagonally arranged rollers hold the sheets as they move along the table and thus keep them in proper alignment. but in order to avoid confusion these stop bars'are-not herein illustrated.

Now if the work to be donedoes not re-, i quire the use of the folding mechanism, 10

shown at the left in Fig. 3,'the operator loosens nuts 82 and 83 and swings the plates 45, 46 and their co-operating parts upon the shaft 44'as far'as slots 7 '8 and 79 will permit, bringing the parts into the position illustrated in Fig. 5 whereupon the nuts 82 and 83 are again tightened. The stacker 'frame is then put 'into position on the machine as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 causing the gear 72 thereof to mesh with gear 71 on shaft 47 Now when the power is turned on, shaft 22 remains still, its gear 53- being outgf mesh with the gear as shown in Fig. 5. Consequently, there is no rotation ofthe-rollers J 15 nor of the folding rolls 31', 31, 32 and 33. The roller. 65 of. the stacker is driven, how'' ever, through the gearing 71, 72, 73, 74 and 75 and the endless belt 67 moves slowly in a the direction of arrow'C of Fig. 6. Folded sheets fed through the feedrollers comprising the rubber wheels 51 are thus dropped upon the belt 67 and due to the slow move- Y ment of thebelt arrange themselves in close We claim as our invention:

1. In a paper handling machine, sheet feeding meansa feed table atthe delivery side of said means adapted to move the sheets at right angles to their direction of movement through said feeding means, and a stacker adapted to be removably mounted above said feed table.

2. In. a paper handling machine, a feed table comprising means for moving sheets thereon, a second sheet moving means supported in vertically spaced relation to said feed table,- and means for feeding sheets to eithersaid feed table only or said second sheet moving means only.

3. In a paper handling machine, a feed table comprising means for moving sheets thereon, means supported in vertically spaced relation to said feed table for moving sheets at right angles to the direction of movement of sheets on said table, and means for feeding sheets either to said table or to said last named means.

4'. In a paper handling machine, a feed table. comprising means for moving sheets thereon, a second sheet moving means supported in vertically spaced relation to said feed table, and means for feeding sheets to either said feed table or said second sheet moving means comprising apair of rolls mounted to swing bodily upon a pivot parallel to the axis of the rolls.

5. In a paper handling machine, a feed table comprising means for moving sheets thereon, a second sheet moving means supported in vertically spaced relation to said feed table, and means for feeding-sheets to either said feed table or said second sheet moving means, comprising a guide plate adjus'table as to its angle.

6. In a paper handling machine, a feed table comprising means for moving'sheet's thereon, means supported in vertically spaced relation to said feed table for moving sheets at right angles to the direction of movement of sheets on said table, means for feeding'sheets either to said table or to said last named means comprising a pair of rolls -mounted to swing bodily upon a pivot parallel to the axis of the rolls, and driving means for said rolls comprising a gear rotatable upon an axis coincident with said pivot.

7. In a paper handling machine, a feed table comprising means for moving sheets thereon, mechanism at the delivery end of said table for. performing an operation upon said sheets, means supported in vertically spaced relation to said feed table for,moving sheets .at right angles to the direction ofmovement of sheets on said table, means for feeding sheets either 'to, said table or to said last named means, and driving means for said mechanism adapted to be actuated when said sheet feeding means is adjusted to feed sheets to said table and to be disconbelt supported in vertically spaced relation to saidfeed table, means for feeding sheets either to said table or to, said stacker, and driving means adapted to operate alternatively said stacker or said mechanism.

9. In a paper handling machine, a feed table comprising means for moving sheets thereon, a stacker comprising an endless belt su orted in vertically spaced relation to sai feed table, means for feeding sheets either to said stacker or said table, driving means for said sheet moving means and for said stacker, and means for connecting either of said driving means alternatively with a source of power.

10; In a paper handling machine, a feed.

table COIIIPIiSlIl" means for moving sheets thereon, a stacker comprising an endless belt supported in vertically spaced relation to said table, means for feedin sheets either to' said stacker or to said tab e, a swinging frame upon which said means is mounted, driving mechanism for said belt, and driving mechanism for said table, a portion of each of said two drivingmechanisms being mounted upon said swinging frame.

11. In a paper handling machine, a feed table, a sheet moving means supported in vertically spaced relation to said feed table, means for feeding sheets either to said feed table orsaitgsheeti moving mgans comprising a swingin rame, paper gui ing means carried there by, and means for locking said frame in different positions of adjustment.

12. In a paper handling machine, a feed table, a sheet moving means 'su ported in spaced relation to said feed ta 1e, means for feeding sheets either to said feed table or said sheet moving means comprising a swingin frame and a pair of feed rolls mounted on said frame, and driving mechanism for said rolls mounted partly upon the saidframe, said driving mechanism in eluding a rotating element at the axis upon which the frame swings, whereby the rolls are connected to be driven in all positions 0 adjustment of the frame.

13. In a paper handling machine, a feed table, a stacker, means for supporting the stacker in spaced relation to said feed table, mechanism at the delivery end of said table for performing an operation upon paper sheets, a driving means for said mechanism comprising a shaft mounted in stationary bearings, a swinging frame, means on said frame for feeding paper to said :feed table or stacker according to the position of the frame, and driven, earing on said frame adapted to operative y engage said shaft to transmit rotary motion thereto only when the frame is set to feed paper to said feed table.

14. In a paper handling machine, a feed table comprising means for moving a sheet thereon, a stacker, means'for supporting the stacker in spaced relation tosaid feedtable, means for driving said sheet moving means comprising a shaft mounted in stationary bearings, a swinging frame, means on said frame for feeding paper to said feed table 'or said stacker according to the adjusted position of the frame, and driven gearing on said frame adapted to operatively engage said shaft to transmit rotary motion thereto only when the frame is set to feed paper to said feed table.

15. In a paper handling machine, a feed table comprising means for moving a sheet thereon, a stacker comprising an endless belt adapted to be supported in spaced relation to said feed table, means for feeding sheets either to said table or to'said stacker, and driving means adapted toioperate alternaing means.

Y 16. In a paper handling machine, a feed table comprising means formoving sheets tively either said stacker or said sheet 'movthereon, a second sheet moving means removably s u ported above said feed table,

and means or feeding sheets to either said.

feed table or said second sheet moving means.

17. In a paper handling machine, a feed table, a sheet moving means removably suported above said feed table, means for feedmg sheets either to said feed table or said sheet moving means comprising a swinging frame, paper. guiding means carried thereby, and means for locking said frame in different positions of adjustment.

18. In a paper handling machine, a feed table, a sheet moving means removably sup-.

ported above said feed table, means for feeding sheets either to said feed table or said sheet moving means comprising, a swinging frame and a pair of feed rolls mounted on said frame, and driving mechanism for said rolls mounted partly upon said frame, said driving mechanism including a rotating element at the axis upon which the frame swings whereby the rolls are connected to be driven. in,all positionsof adjustment of the frame.

19. In a ,paper handling machine, a feedtable, a stacker, means for removably supporting the stacker above said feed table, mechanism at the delivery end of said table for performing an operation upon paper sheets, a driving means for said mechanism comprising a shaft'mounted in stationary bearings, a swinging frame, means on said frame for feeding paper to said feed table.

or stacker according to the position of the frame, and driven caring on said frame adapted to operative y engage said shaft to transmit rotary motion thereto when the frame is set to feed paper to said feed table.

20. In a paper handling machine, a feed table comprising a series of rollers, a stacker, means for removably supporting the stacker above said feed table, means for driving said rollers comprising a shaft mounted in stationary bearings, a swinging frame, means on said frame for feeding paper to said feed table or said stacker according to thevadjusted position of the frame, and driven v gearing on said frame adapted to operatively engage said shaft to transmit rotary an endless belt adapted to be removably su ported above said feed table, means for fee ing sheets either to said table or to said stacker, and driving means adapted to operate alternatively either said stacker or said series of rollers.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto aflix our slgnatures.

ANDREW OLSON. LESLEY R. TUFTS. 

